Abstract
This study examined the geometrical relationships between the feet, pelvis and an environmental obstruction when crossing an obstacle with unexpected changes to its position. Nine healthy young adults stepped over an obstacle 19 cm high with their right leg leading. The obstacle could be static or advanced at either lead (early detection) or trail (late detection) foot contact prior to clearance to force an adaptive reorganization of body–foot geometry and foot proximity to the obstacle. Stride length, minimum foot clearance over the obstacle, and foot-obstacle horizontal proximity before and after clearance were measured along with the relative position of the pelvis to each foot at eight points (four for each foot) during approach and clearance: heel contacts before and after crossing the obstacle, maximum foot heights and foot clearances. With early obstacle movement, trail limb stride length before crossing was lengthened, but foot proximity was still far from the final obstacle position. Clearance was less affected for the trail foot as compared to the lead foot. Proximity of the lead limb following clearance was the same for both early and late perturbations and closer than for the static obstacle condition. For relative body–foot positioning, significant differences were found only in the anterior-posterior direction. Following obstacle displacement, body–foot geometry was initially adapted, but then re-established to static obstacle values with an apparent focus on a balance geometry with the forward placed foot establishing new contact. These findings support an overall balance geometry that can be temporarily adjusted and coordinated with foot proximity to the obstruction to maintain continual gait and safe clearance.
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Acknowledgements
This study was financially supported through operating Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research of Canada (BJM, LJB) and by student bursaries to L-PD from Laval University and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration. The combined assistance of Isabelle Lorusso and Frédéric Dumont for analyses, Jean Leblond for statistical consultation, Guy St-Vincent in data collection and Steve Forest for obstacle construction was greatly appreciated.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Dugas, LP., Bouyer, L.J. & McFadyen, B.J. Body–foot geometries as revealed by perturbed obstacle position with different time constraints. Exp Brain Res 236, 711–720 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-017-5161-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-017-5161-7